IYSA Redbook

Positive Youth Development

The Indiana Youth Services Association and the 33 Youth Service Bureaus that it represents are working diligently to advance the principles of positive youth development. Only recently we worked successfully with the Indiana General Assembly to encourage the establishment of a State Youth Development Study Committee. Youth advocates from throughout the state came together in support of establishing this committee. Our vision is to shift the emphasis in addressing the needs of Indiana’s children from bringing services to youth when there is a problem to measurably increasing opportunities for all youth. Our quest is to move from a reactive system to a proactive system. For this to occur, it is important that we learn a common language of youth development and that we operate from similar core principles.

Some of the best work in bringing definition to a common language and core principles emanates from the Center for Youth Development and Policy Research (CYD). For decades much of the literature and program applications have focused on youth problems and problematic behavior rather than positive youth development. Both practitioners and researchers began to notice that a young person’s likelihood of experiencing problems decreased remarkably if certain basic elements were present. It would serve us well to examine the core principles of youth development as they will guide the work of our association and our member organizations. These core principles shed light on why some young people flourish and achieve in environments that are full of negative influences while many of their peers fail in the same environment. These core principles, developed by the CYD will help guide our work into the next millennium.

Core Youth Development Principles

• Developing youth in positive ways must be intentional, not accidental. Left to their own devices, as they frequently are, young people will seek to meet their needs and develop competencies, but not always in ways that are positive. The issue is how to influence the nature and direction of their development through an intentional (i.e., thoughtful and deliberate) focus on the opportunities and supports that will build developmental assets within young people and enable them to contribute to their own development and that of their communities.

• Youth development is about meeting basic needs and developing personal competencies. Young people build developmental assets and contribute to their own development through ongoing, day-to-day experiences and relationships that help them to meet basic needs and develop social, intellectual, physical, cultural, civic, vocational and personal competencies.

• Youth development depends on much more than programs. Youth development depends on the everyday availability of a rich array of developmental opportunities and supports – people, places and things to do – both within and outside programs and the delivery of services. Youth development depends on the everyday availability of a rich array of developmental opportunities and supports – people, places and things to do – both within and outside programs and the delivery of services.

• Everyone – not just "the experts" – has a role to play in youth development. Teachers, social workers, youth workers and others whose jobs are focused on youth are not the only ones who have a contribution to make to youth development. In a community intentionally focused on youth development, everyone – from parents and families to non-caretaker adults to senior citizens to businesspeople to clergy – has a responsibility to form caring relationships, foster safe places and provide opportunities for young people.

• Young people are resources to be developed, not problems to be fixed. Young people are resources to be developed, not problems to be fixed. They deserve our attention, investment and support at all times, not just when they need special services or treatment.

• Young people need ongoing, day-to-day opportunities to learn new things, serve others, be creative, test ideas, work, enjoy themselves and explore options.

• Young people need ongoing, day-to-day supports such as caring relationships with adults who have high expectations for them and safe places to go in which to receive guidance, explore their own development and take advantage of opportunities.

• Young people need to contribute to their own development through a commitment to their own learning, a set of responsible personal and social values, and a healthy sense of their own identity.

• Young people need to contribute to their communities through a variety of meaningful, age-appropriate and visible opportunities to serve their families, schools, churches and community institutions. Making these contributions develops youth competencies and confidence at the same time as it benefits others.

It is my sincere hope that the work of the State Youth Development Study Committee will bring about a positive change for all young people in Indiana. It is the intent of the IYSA to assist both the Study Committee and the youth of our state to see that this happens.